The #QAnon Conciousness Phenomena

I certainly do not want the President to tear up the INF treaty - indeed if he did that and did not replace it soon, I would say he betrayed his supporters, and I would cease to support him. However, I hope this is a part of a complex manoeuvre to enable him to do a new deal with President Putin (and maybe China too) to stabilise things a lot more, without lots of noises off back home.

David
 
I certainly do not want the President to tear up the INF treaty - indeed if he did that and did not replace it soon, I would say he betrayed his supporters, and I would cease to support him. However, I hope this is a part of a complex manoeuvre to enable him to do a new deal with President Putin (and maybe China too) to stabilise things a lot more, without lots of noises off back home.

David


What is the point of the US staying with the Treaty if Russia is violating it? Why don't you write that Russia should keep its commitments? Isn't that a double standard, it's okay for Russia to cheat but the US has to follow the rules?
 
What is the point of the US staying with the Treaty if Russia is violating it? Why don't you write that Russia should keep its commitments? Isn't that a double standard, it's okay for Russia to cheat but the US has to follow the rules?
The situation is more complex than that. The US installed a lot of anti-missile missiles in Eastern Europe (in contravention of another treaty I think), supposedly to cope with missiles from 'rogue states' though it was gradually admitted that these would also counter Russian missiles. This eventually resulted in Russia introducing non-balistic missiles (something like cruise) to counter these.

We really need these miltary buildups stopped. As I said, I just hope this is what the President has inmind.

David
 
The situation is more complex than that. The US installed a lot of anti-missile missiles in Eastern Europe (in contravention of another treaty I think), supposedly to cope with missiles from 'rogue states' though it was gradually admitted that these would also counter Russian missiles. This eventually resulted in Russia introducing non-balistic missiles (something like cruise) to counter these.

We really need these miltary buildups stopped. As I said, I just hope this is what the President has inmind.

David

Which treaty did the US violate?
 
I think the point is, that large corporations like lax regulation - or at least if they find lax regulation they are ready to exploit it. It is almost impossible to regulate the whole world to a decent standard, so free trade means that large corporations exploit countries with low standards of worker protection and low wages.
Large corporations like regulation because it creates barriers to smaller companies with new innovations from entering the arena and disrupting the industry. A big company can afford to comply with regulations much more easily than a small company.
I suspect that Trump is partly aware of this, and bringing jobs back to the US isn't just about hammering countries that break the rules (to the extent that these can be defined) but also about getting production back home. I mean if the entire US market isn't big enough to provide economies of scale, what is!
When the government gets involved in trade, it unavoidably influences who benefits from government regulations and treaties.. Before Trump the beneficiaries were large corporations. After Trump the beneficiaries are American workers.
If he can get industries re-started in the US, there may be less willingness to continue making trade deals, or they will be deals with first world countries. Once you start to challenge the idea that trade deals are automatically a good thing, I think the idea of local production will spread.

David
Trump's goals for trade deals are: free fair and reciprocal trade.
 
Which treaty did the US violate?
OK the US withdrew unilatterally from the treaty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Ballistic_Missile_Treaty

The point was that this let them position Anti Ballistic Missile missiles in eastern europe. In theory this could lessen the impact of Russian missiles by destroying some of them in the event of war. At first sight this sounds like a good thing, but it isn't, because the Russians have responded with more missiles, and stability in the region has been lessened.

However, I have the strong feeling that this is Syria mark 3 - in other words the tough language gets everyone scared, so that when he agrees a new treaty with Putin, few will complain - just as they didn't complain, that the attacks in Syria had done nothing to stop the Russians pacifying that country and hadn't killed a single Russian! He used a rather similar tactic happened with NK.

I hope I can trust him, because by all appearances he will be greatly strengthened by the probable outcome of the coming election:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...akes-stronger-Democrats-heading-disaster.html

David
 
Large corporations like regulation
No, generally they don't. Each regulation presents its own set of challenges that can be more or less burdensome based on the capital enterprise's size. (i.e., some support your point and are easier to comply with for larger corporations; others contradict your point.) That said most larger corporations have larger competitors which can create a zero sum game in terms of compliance that draws valuable resources away from more innovative activities. In my direct experience in this arena, large corporations would prefer less regulation broadly over the chance for any particular regulation to benefit them vs smaller competitors.

When the government gets involved in trade, it unavoidably influences who benefits from government regulations and treaties.. Before Trump the beneficiaries were large corporations. After Trump the beneficiaries are American workers.
While the economic impact of Trump's trade policies are way too nascent to opine in such a fashion, I'll play along for the sake of argument. Corporate earnings are at an all time high. So is corporate buy-backs of stock. (Where a huge proportion of the Trump tax windfall was deployed.) Yes, unemployment is at historically low levels but we have not yet seen any indication of wage inflation as yet. Bezos's showmanship aside on the $15 minimum wage (offset by bonus programs going away to some degree).

American workers are still waiting to see if the trickle down effect will benefit them. It may but to declare Trump as a boon to the American Worker is simply rhetoric at this time.

Trump's goals for trade deals are: free fair and reciprocal trade.
Hard to know what his actual goals are in this area. It may be as you say, but he may wish to go beyond such nice sounding words as "free, fair and reciprocal". We just don't know as yet.
 
OK the US withdrew unilatterally from the treaty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Ballistic_Missile_Treaty

The point was that this let them position Anti Ballistic Missile missiles in eastern europe. In theory this could lessen the impact of Russian missiles by destroying some of them in the event of war. At first sight this sounds like a good thing, but it isn't, because the Russians have responded with more missiles, and stability in the region has been lessened.

However, I have the strong feeling that this is Syria mark 3 - in other words the tough language gets everyone scared, so that when he agrees a new treaty with Putin, few will complain - just as they didn't complain, that the attacks in Syria had done nothing to stop the Russians pacifying that country and hadn't killed a single Russian! He used a rather similar tactic happened with NK.

I hope I can trust him, because by all appearances he will be greatly strengthened by the probable outcome of the coming election:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...akes-stronger-Democrats-heading-disaster.html

David

The US withdrew to defend Europe from Iranian missiles. Iran did not participate in the ABM treaty. Russia supported Iran. Russia knew the west was limited by the ABM treaty so they allied with Iran who wasn't. Why should the US stick to a treaty when other countries were a threat and not participating in it?
 
The US withdrew to defend Europe from Iranian missiles. Iran did not participate in the ABM treaty. Russia supported Iran. Russia knew the west was limited by the ABM treaty so they allied with Iran who wasn't. Why should the US stick to a treaty when other countries were a threat and not participating in it?
It was apparently later admitted that the missiles would work against Russian missiles too. The whole thing was a ruse, and the Russians complained bitterly about this - pointing out that they would have to take action to prevent even the perception that the US could attack them by surprise without a corresponding response.

I think both sides are being silly, in that there are also submarine launched missiles, and it is almost inconceivable that one side could win without being utterly destroyed (unless of course nuclear weapons don't work....).

I want an agreement that lowers the number of weapons substantially and reduces the sabre rattling. I think Trump wants the same - that seemed to be the message from his election campaign speeches.

David
 
It was apparently later admitted that the missiles would work against Russian missiles too. The whole thing was a ruse, and the Russians complained bitterly about this - pointing out that they would have to take action to prevent even the perception that the US could attack them by surprise without a corresponding response.

I think both sides are being silly, in that there are also submarine launched missiles, and it is almost inconceivable that one side could win without being utterly destroyed (unless of course nuclear weapons don't work....).

I want an agreement that lowers the number of weapons substantially and reduces the sabre rattling. I think Trump wants the same - that seemed to be the message from his election campaign speeches.

David

Of course they would work against Russia's missiles. I didn't know anyone doubted it. Who said it was any kind of ruse? Russia should have thought of that before they took Iran under their wing. If you accept Russia's fears of Western aggression as valid do you also recognize the need for the West to have a defense against Iranian missiles?
 
Of course they would work against Russia's missiles. I didn't know anyone doubted it. Who said it was any kind of ruse? Russia should have thought of that before they took Iran under their wing. If you accept Russia's fears of Western aggression as valid do you also recognize the need for the West to have a defense against Iranian missiles?
I think that unless nuclear weapons really are a hoax (which I doubt), we deceive ourselves if we slip into thinking that there is a meaningful defence of any sort once nuclear war breaks out.

David
 
I think that unless nuclear weapons really are a hoax (which I doubt), we deceive ourselves if we slip into thinking that there is a meaningful defence of any sort once nuclear war breaks out.

David

We need some form of deterrence against other nations that have nuclear weapons otherwise they can threaten to use nuclear weapons against us. One form of deterrence is the threat of nuclear retaliation. But isn't a non-nuclear ABM defense preferable to nuclear retaliation as a deterrent to nuclear war?
 
https://freebeacon.com/national-sec...iran-set-for-electronic-pulse-attacks-on-u-s/

"Within the last decade, newly nuclear-armed adversaries, including North Korea, have been developing the ability and threatening to carry out an EMP attack against the U.S.," the report said.

"Such an attack would give countries that have only a small number of nuclear weapons the ability to cause widespread, long-lasting damage to U.S. critical national infrastructures, to the United States itself as a viable country, and to the survival of a majority of its population."
An single nuclear weapon detonated in the upper atmosphere could produce an EMP that would kill more people than multiple nuclear strikes against cities.

I would much rather have a ABM system as a first line of defense rather than rely on nuclear deterrent alone.

https://www.investors.com/electric-grid-vulnerable-to-emp-attack/

5/09/2014
...
Expert testimony before Congress on Thursday warned that an electromagnetic pulse attack on our power grid and electronic infrastructure could leave most Americans dead and the U.S. in another century.

That dire warning came from Peter Vincent Pry, a member of the Congressional EMP Commission and executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security.

He testified in front of the House Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies that an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) event could wipe out 90% of America's population.
...
Today an electromagnetic pulse event would be devastating. It wouldn't need a solar storm, just a solitary nuke detonated in the atmosphere above the American heartland.
...

Natural EMP from a geomagnetic superstorm, like the 1859 Carrington Event or 1921 Railroad Storm, and nuclear EMP attack from terrorists or rogue states, as practiced by North Korea during the nuclear crisis of 2013, are both existential threats that could kill 9-of-10 Americans through starvation, disease and societal collapse," the Washington Free Beacon quoted Pry as saying.
...

"Airplanes would fall from the sky; most cars would be inoperable; electrical devices would fail. Water, sewer and electrical networks would fail simultaneously. Systems of banking, energy, transportation, food production and delivery, water, emergency services and even cyberspace would collapse."

Not many are killed or harmed by the blast itself, but as the EMP pulse spreads across America, life changes in an instant, coming to a screeching halt as a country dependent on cutting-edge 21st century technology regresses at least a century in time instantaneously.
 
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Giant corporations love regulations because regulations help prevent competitors from endangering their monopolies.

Go read about Regulatory Capture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulatory_capture

Again, seems an oversimplification to me. Yes, there are examples of Regulatory Capture that are legitimate and concerning. However, using those examples as a broad brush to state "Giant corporations love regulations" is just not accurate. (I can think of multiple examples in the financial services industry that were heavily opposed by industry but came to pass none the less.) Further, it could lead the naive to believe that broad deregulation is necessary when economists have a perverse form of capture that can occur in that setting: Corrosive Capture.

As in so many things we tend to support whatever evidence we can cite on the internet that suits our biases. (Myself included. :) )
 
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1055634399050563584.html?refreshed=yes
July 7, 2018: New York Times editorial calls for Dems to “take a page from The Godfather” to “go to the mattresses” to stop Trump’s Supreme Court nominee.
July 6, 2018: CNN analyst justifies violence against Trump supporters
July 6, 2018: Long Island Man Threatened to Kill Supporters of Republican Congressman, Trump: Police
July 6, 2018: Florida man attacked over Trump flag in yard.
July 6, 2018: Woman threatens to stab Alan Dershowitz in heart.
July 5, 2018: Founder of #WalkAway campaign refused service at camera store.
July 5, 2018: Trump supporter wearing Make America Great Again hat allegedly assaulted in burger joint (video at link).
July 3, 2018: Nebraska GOP office vandalized.
July 3, 2018: EPA head Scott Pruitt harassed at restaurant.
July 2, 2018: Cher accuses ICE of “Gestapo tactics.”
July 2, 2018: Man accused of threatening to kill Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and his family.
July 1, 2018: Washington Post reporter publicly calls on mobs to give Trump officials a “life sentence” of harassment.
July 1, 2018: Man wearing MAGA hat refused service in restaurant.
July 1, 2018: AntiFa terrorists attack Patriot Prayer rally in Portland. June 29, 2018: Media falsely blame Trump for murder of five journalists in Maryland.
June 28, 2018: Journalist lies about Maryland mass-shooter being a Trump supporter.
June 29, 2018: Hollywood actor calls on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to be harassed at “every meal.”
June 29, 2018: California man accused of threatening to kill FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s children.
June 28, 2018: Reuters editor says Trump has blood on his hands for murder of five journalists in Maryland. He still has a job.
June 28, 2018: Singer John Legend praises and agrees with Rep. Maxine Waters for calling on mobs to publicly harass Trump officials out of public spaces like restaurants.
June 28, 2018: Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) calls on “angry” Latinos to oust Trump.
June 27, 2018: Media defend & champion Virginia restaurant owner who kicked White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and her family out, & then reportedly harassed them as they ate at a nearby.
June 26, 2018: Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao harassed at home by protesters.
June 26, 2018: Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) blames President Trump for her intern yelling “Fuck you!” at him through the halls of the U.S. Capitol. The intern was not fired.
June 26, 2018: Comedienne Kathy Griffin attacks the Trump administration as “pro-Nazi.” Obviously, once you describe someone as a Nazi, you are calling for violence against them.
June 26, 2018: Chicago bar refuses to serve Trump supporters.
June 26, 2018: Singer John Legend calls on Trump officials to be harassed until our immigration policies are weakened.
June 26, 2018: Late night comedians celebrate the harassment of Sarah Sanders and her family.
June 25, 2018: Burned animal carcass left on Trump staffer’s porch.
June 25, 2018: After refusing to serve Sarah Sanders and the family, we learn a restaurant owner then organized a mob to harass Sanders’ family at a nearby restaurant.
June 25, 2018: Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) calls on mobs to confront Trump officials over immigration policies.
June 25, 2018: CNN contributor attacks those on the right calling for civility.
June 25, 2018: CNN’s Jake Tapper dismisses harassment of Sarah Sanders as a political ploy on Sander’s part.
June 24, 2018: Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) publicly calls on mobs to “turn on” Trump officials, to “harass” them, ensure they “they won’t be able to go to a restaurant, they won’t be able to stop at a gas station, they’re not going to be able to shop at a department store.”
June 23, 2018: Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi harassed, menaced, and reportedly spit at by left-wing protesters at movie theater.
June 22, 2018: Sarah Sanders and her family booted out of restaurant by left-wing owner.
June 22, 2016: Kirstjen Nielsen harassed by protesters outside her private home.
June 22, 2018: Rep. Jackie Sperier (D-CA), compares border enforcement to Auschwitz.
June 22, 2018: Left-wing activists vandalize billboard.
June 22, 2018: On Morning Joe, Donny Deutsch smears Trump and his supporters as “Nazis.”
June 21, 2018: Democrat state legislator in Pennsylvania greets Vice President Mike Pence with a “middle finger salute.”
June 21, 2018: Actor Adam Scott compares Tucker Carlson to a Nazi.
June 20, 2018: Left-wing AntiFa terrorists publish list of ICE agents for harassment purposes.
Jun 20, 2018: Florida man accused of threatening to kill Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), a U.S. combat veteran, and his children in a series of nearly 500 calls to his office.
June 20, 2018: Actor Peter Fonda calls for a mob to kidnap President Trump’s 11-year-old son & throw him in a cage with pedophiles.
June 20, 2018: Actor Peter Fonda calls for a mob to sexually humiliate and abuse Sarah Sanders and DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.
June 20, 2018: Nancy Sinatra praises Peter Fonda for his tweets.
June 20, 2018: Documentary filmmaker Josh Fox praises Peter Fonda for his tweets.
June 20, 2018: Arnold Schwarzenegger calls for politicians in favor of border security to be put in cages.
June 19, 2018: Kirstjen Nielsen harassed out of restaurant.
June 19, 2018: Democrat interns screams “Fuck you!” at Trump through the halls of the U.S. Capitol. She was not fired.
June 19, 2018: New Yorker fact checker publicly (and falsely) accuses a disabled war veteran who works for ICE of being a Nazi.
June 15, 2018: Man has MAGA flag stolen at rally.
June 15, 2018: CNN analyst heckles and screams at Sarah Sanders.
June 14, 2018: Nancy Pelosi wonders why there ‘aren’t uprisings’ across nation: ‘Maybe there will be’
May 24, 2018: Anti-Trump forces threaten lawmakers’ lives in name of #Resistance
May 23, 2018: Tomi Lahren has water thrown at her at Minnesota restaurant
May 22, 2018: Trump supporter suspended from school over border wall t-shirt.
May 14, 2018: Black man in MAGA hat harassed, threatened, called “nigger” at Cheesecake Factory.
April 23, 2018: Trump supporter shouted out of bar in New York.
April 4, 2018: Councilwoman accused of yelling obscenities at teen wearing Trump shirt
April 3, 2018: Woman brutally attacked in restaurant over support for Trump.
April 1, 2018: Trump golf course sign vandalized.
March 19, 2018: Democratic Congressman Hints at Armed Rebellion Against Trump
March 19, 2018: Trump supporters attacked for protesting anti-police coffee shop.
March 16, 2018: Capitol police arrest male democrat operative over assault of Trump official
March 15, 2018: Student with ‘Trump’ flag assaulted by mob during National School Walkout
February 27, 2018: Trump supporter threatened with knife.
February 7, 2018: Democrat attested for sending white powder to Donald Trump Jr.
February 2, 2018: CNN Writer Thanks God for Fatal GOP Train Wreck
January 29, 2018: Saginaw, MI businessman’s Trump sign vandalized.
December 20, 2017: AntiFa terrorists assault Trump supporter outside bookstore
December 9, 2017: Students wearing MAGA hats booted from ‘safe space’ coffee shop
December 3, 2017: Trump supporter’ home and vehicle vandalized for second time.
November 22, 2017: Man mistaken for Trump supporter attacked
November 20, 2017: University of IL instructor assault Trump supporters
November 13, 2017: Trump supporter assaulted for wearing MAGA hat.
September 28, 2017: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos heckled as “white supremacist” during speech.
September 17, 2017: Trump supporter physically assault in Roosevelt High School gym.
September 15, 2017: CNN host “jokes” about killing Trump with hemlock in his food.
August 28, 2017: Car with Trump bumper sticker vandalized in San Francisco.
August 28, 2017: Left-wing AntiFa terrorists attack peaceful Trump supporters at Berkeley.
August 28, 2017: GOP headquarters in Fayetteville, KY vandalized. “Die Nazi Scum” spray painted on windows.
August 24, 2017: Black Trump supporter spit at for wearing MAGA hat.
August 23, 2017: Black Trump supporter sucker punched in Laguna Beach.
August 23, 2017: Black Trump supporter punched multiple times while leaving Trump’s Arizona rally
August 18. 2017: Top Missouri Democrat calls for Trump to be “assassinated.”
August 17, 2017: ‘Nazis’ spray painted on New Hampshire GOP headquarters
August 16, 2017: Anti-Donald Trump campaigner ‘shoots Republican neighbour twice in the head’
August 14, 2017: Conservative student attacked for “YAF” hat at vigil for Charlottesville victims.
July 7, 2017: Student threatened for supporting Trump.
July 7, 2017: Man attacked for wearing MAGA hat in New York bar.
July 5, 2017: CNN threatens to expose Trump supporter to online mob over parody video.
July 3, 2017: Philadelphia Trump supporter jumped by three men after rallies
June 22, 2017: Actor Johnny Depp “jokes” about assassinating Trump.
June 15, 2017: Several shots fired at truck flying ‘Make America Great Again’ flag on I-465 in Indiana
June 14, 2017: HuffPo publishes article calling for “execution” of Trump.
June 14, 2017: Bernie Sanders supporter opens fire on a group of Republican congressman. Rep. Steve Scalise is shot and nearly dies.
June 12, 2017: Wire creator David Simon calls on mobs to pick up a “brick” if Trump fires special counsel Robert Mueller.
June 10, 2017: Trump supporter beaten with ‘Queers for Muslims’ sign in Seattle.
June 10, 2017: Left-wing terrorists with AntiFa hurl urine at woman protesting against Sharia
June 7, 2017: Veteran’s wife violently beaten for voting for Trump
June 6, 2017: “Trump” is stabbed to death in front of cheering audience in Central Park
May 30, 2017: Kathy Griffin beheads Trump.
May 19, 2017: Man arrested for multiple acts of anti-Trump vandalism.
April 23, 2017: Left-wing AntiFa arrested for assault in DC.
April 19. 2017: MSNBC ‘Counter-Terrorism Analyst’ Calls for ISIS Bombing of Trump Property
April 15, 2017: Left-wing AntiFa terrorists start riot in Berkeley.
April 15, 2017: Left-wing terrorists with AntiFa assault Trump supporter with bike lock.
April 14, 2017: Two arrested for burning Trump sign in Maryland
April 3, 2017: Left-wing AntiFa terrorists disrupt pro-Trump rally in Vancouver
April 6, 2018: During Ellen appearance, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) “jokes” about killing Trump, Pence, Sessions on elevator.
March 27, 2017: Pro-Trump march organizer pepper-sprayed by protester
March 20, 2017: Violent kids hit Trump supporter in face with skateboard
March 19, 2017: ‘Murder Trump ASAP’ graffiti found on freeway wall in San Diego
March 15, 2017: University of Michigan student detained after damaging Trump supporter’s flag
March 16, 2017: Pro-Trump Michael Savage assaulted.
March 14, 2017: Young Trump supporters harassed online as Nazis
March 12, 2017: Snoop Dogg “shoots” Trump in the head.
March 9, 2017: Florida man punched in face after road rage incident sparked by Trump bumper sticker
March 7, 2017: Hillary VP pick and Sen. Tim Kaine’s (D-VA) son arrested for hurling smoke bomb in the Minnesota Capitol rotund
March 7, 2017: CNN points what looks like a sniper scope at the Oval Office.
March 6, 2017: Berkeley man arrested for destroying College Republican sign
March 5, 2017: Leftist rioters crash peaceful pro-Trump rally with tasers
March 4, 2017: Left-wing rioters attack peaceful pro-Trump rally at Berkeley
March 1, 2017: Trump supporter’s car vandalized in Oregon
February 26, 2017: Trump supporter’s house egged three times in New York
February 26, 2017: Female Trump supporter assaulted in Hollywood
February 25, 2017: Ohio man assaulted by anti-Trump mob
February 27, 2017: Flier in North Carolina calls on mobs to assault Trump supporters
February 17, 2017: Professor tweets ‘Trump must hang,’ gets paid leave:
February 16, 2017: Kansas City man with AR-15 taunts Trump supporter, rips down Trump flag
February 15, 2017: Hateful messages found on Trump supporter’s historic Denver home
February 14, 2017: Stephen Colbert puts White House adviser Stephen Miller’s head on a pike.
February 13, 2017: Black Trump supporter’s home vandalized with “KKK’ spray paint – hoax hate crime
February 10, 2017: Black Lives Matter bully threatens to smash woman’s laptop over Trump sticker.
February 10, 2017: Protesters block Education secretary Betsy DeVos from entering school.
February 9, 2017: Man arrested for attacking Trump supporter in California
February 9, 2017: AntiFa middle school teacher Yvette Felarca arrested for starting riot in Berkeley
February 8, 2017: Police investigating multiple incidents of anti-Trump graffiti in North Carolina.
February 8, 2017: CSUF instructor suspended for striking pro-Trump student
February 7, 2018: Trump supporters’ home vandalized in Oceanside CA
February 7, 2017: Girl in MAGA hat pepper sprayed
February 4, 2017: School suspends victim after he is beaten for wearing MAGA
February 2, 2017: Comedienne Sarah Silverman calls on military to overthrow Trump.
February 2, 2017: Arrests at NYU after left-wing thugs disrupt conservative speaker
February 2, 2017: Trump supporter attacked in street in Berkeley
February 1, 2017: Left-wing terrorist group AntiFa assaults Trump supporters at Berkeley.
January 31, 2017: Former VP candidate, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), calls on Democrats to “fight in the streets” against Trump.
January 21, 2017: Madonna fantasizes about blowing up the WH.
January 20, 2017: Comedian Limmy tells Donald Trump assassination joke
January 20, 2017: Anti-Trump protester lights Trump supporter’s hair on fire.
January 20, 2017: Left-wing terrorist group Antifa riots over Trump’s inauguration.
January 19, 2017: CNN fantasizes about Obama staying in power if Trump is assassinated.
January 5, 2017: Left-wing thugs kidnap, beat, and torture an 18-year-old with schizophrenia while shouting “fuck Trump” and “fuck white people.”
November 18, 2016: Actor Michael Shannon: Time for Trump voters to die
November 16, 2016: Left-wing thugs assault 15-year-old Trump supporter.
November 14, 2016: Man viciously beaten in Chicago as bystanders scream ‘he voted Trump’
November 14, 2016: Avengers director Joss Whedon says Trump “CANNOT” be allowed to serve out his term in office.
November 12, 2016: Man in MAGA hat attacked by New York subway rider.
November 11, 2016: Mother emotionally abuses child for “voting” for Trump.
November 10, 2016: Trump Supporter Beaten in Chicago Street, Recorded on Video
November 10, 2016: Orange Is the New Black star Lea DeLaria threatens “to pick up a baseball bat and take out every f*cking Republican and
independent I see.”

November 9, 2016: Marilyn Manson “kills” Trump in music video.
October 29, 2016: Homeless woman guarding Trump’s Walk of Fame star assaulted in Hollywood.
October 28, 2016: Trump signs vandalized in Quincy, IL.
October 26, 2016: Trump’s Walk of Fame star vandalized.
October 16, 2016: Left-wing terrorists firebomb GOP headquarters in North Carolina.
October 16, 2016: 17 vehicles vandalized at Trump rally in Bangor, Maine.
October 7, 2016: Robert De Niro says he wants to “punch” Trump in the face.
October 3, 2016: Trump billboard defaced with swastikas.
September 29, 2016: Trump supporter surrounded by angry mob, kicked, chased in El Cajon.
September 18, 2016: Trump supporter beaten in El Cajon.
August 27, 2017: Vandals deface Trump supporter’s lawn signs.
August 19, 2016: Left-wing thugs attack Trump’s motorcade and his supporters.
August 6, 2016: Massachusetts woman vandalizes Trump sign, tries to run down owner.
June 18, 2016: Man attempts to assassinate Trump.
June 3, 2016: Trump supporters left bloody after left-wing mob attack in San Jose.
June 2, 2016: Left-wing thugs violently attack Trump supporters. One women was surrounded by a mob and pelted with raw eggs.
May 25, 2016: Brad Thor on Glenn Beck: ‘If Congress Won’t Remove’ Trump from White House, ‘What Patriot Will Step Up’
March 21, 2016: Man’s homemade Trump billboard vandalized and destroyed in Michigan.
March 17, 2016: Violent protesters attack Trump supporters in Chicago.
March 15, 2016: Vandals deface Trump signs in Dayton Ohio,
March 14, 2016: CNN treats man who tried to tackle Trump as folk hero.
March 12, 2016: Trump supporter’s Virginia house vandalized
March 12, 2016: Man tries to tackle Trump at campaign rally.
March 9, 2016: Trump billboard removed due to repeated vandalism in West Town IL.
March 1, 2016: Former Daily Show contributor Larry Wilmore “jokes” about killing Trump.
January 5, 2016: Jewish Trump support’s Trump sign vandalized with Nazi images.
 
As in so many things we tend to support whatever evidence we can cite on the internet that suits our biases. (Myself included. :) )
That is true, and on the face of it, that renders all political discussion (maybe all discussion?) pointless. However, I think the truth is a bit deeper than that. For example, I suspect many of us once held different views and underwent a mini 'conversion experience' as we realised we were mistaken.

Take me as an example:

1) I gave up Christianity to be a complete materialist for many years. Slowly my views about materialism changed because I realised that science didn't really answer a lot of questions, and even tried to conceal evidence it could not explain.

2) I used to simply assume CAGW was true because 'science' said so. Again, a whole string of things gradually changed my mind.

3) I used to believe that ψ notwithstanding, evolution really did happen by the survival of the fittest. It was discussions here on Skeptiko that started to change my mind.

4) Politically, I have been Left, and am currently a UKIP/Trump supporter. I also used to hope for a Democratic POTUS. Here I would say that the Left has morphed over the decades - all that was necessary was to notice that shift and avoid blind party allegiance.

A slow change in viewpoint is probably more reliable, because for a long time you don't really have a strong bias - just curiosity.

Beyond a certain point, the pieces shift in your mind, and reassemble into a form that is more open to possibilities. Just as a man who knows he and his country was tricked into fighting in Vietnam (and Iraq 2), probably looks for trickery when people start to promote the idea of another war.

Put another way, if someone, or science, or the state lies about one thing, you don't trust them as much. If they lie repeatedly, you don't turn to then for an honest explanation, but just out of curiosity to discover how they are spinning the evidence!

David
 
I don't know what is going to happen in the midterm elections. Most of the news organizations are reporting about the many polls which say the Democrats will gain a majority in the house of representatives. What is less well known is that the early voting results tell a different story. According to Larry Schweikart, the data from early voting suggests the Republican's will retain a majority in the house.

I don't know who is right.

Larry's twitter feed:
https://twitter.com/LarrySchweikart

This is where he posts articles:
https://bigleaguepolitics.com/author/larry/

https://twitter.com/LarrySchweikart/status/1055454352012337152

ls.GIF


Here is an article that explains why polls are often unreliable.

https://www.dukechronicle.com/artic...umps-win-explains-how-he-knew-what-comes-next

11/11/2016

Professor Darren Beattie, Ph.D: More important, let me say a few words about polling and pundits. One thing about pundits and "experts" that readers have to understand is that they are not paid to make accurate predictions or give accurate analysis; they are paid to give predictions and analysis that advance a particular agenda, usually the agenda of some billionaire benefactor or corporate media platform. This is a powerful explanation because it accounts for how most of these people can be utter failures and somehow keep their jobs.​
 
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